


To Love and Be Loved in Return

by Twostep



Category: Crimson Peak (2015)
Genre: Extended Scene, F/M, First Time, Fluff and Smut, Loss of Virginity, Mentions of Lucille Sharpe, Oral Sex, Smut, Spoilers, That Post Office Scene
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-23
Updated: 2015-10-23
Packaged: 2018-04-27 19:03:10
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,971
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5060371
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Twostep/pseuds/Twostep
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Because that one scene in the room above the post office was rushed and cut short, this provides an extended version.</p>
            </blockquote>





	To Love and Be Loved in Return

Edith had long known what happened between a husband and a wife in their marriage bed. What was supposed to happen, at least. Ever since their first kiss, she had wanted him. At first, it had been intangible; an ache or an itch of the kind you could soothe or scratch at. An ache in her chest and an itch... The mere though of it had seemed scandalous.

 

With their first kiss, it had gone from a hazy wish to a need. A need that grew with each day she was left wanting. In his presence, her skin had become electrified,shivering with each touch, each chaste caress of his hand over hers as they walked side by side.

 

And then, in the midst of tragedy and torment, between blood and bitter tears, they had married. Thomas had been respectful of her loss, just as she had told Lucille. Courteous and kind, politely kissing her goodnight each evening of their journey before retreating into his cabin. And yes, after she had bolted her door and laid on her bunk, she had wept, the tears staining her pillow and turning her eyes raw with salt. But not for her father. No. She grew hot with harm to think of it even now, how her shameful lust had been stronger than her grief, and how she wished for little else than for Thomas to kiss her again as he did when he stole her heart, for him to sweep her off her feet and carry her to his bunk, to rip the lace of her dress and…

 

But he never had, and now hours had turned into days, days into weeks. She had seen something in his eyes, she was sure of it. A desire held back, harnessed by… what? They were in England now, in a shared room, and yet for all the burning looks he gave her, he would not lay his hand on her when they were abed. Night after night she would wake to find him missing, and with every passing day, she was more certain that something was wrong.

 

Or was it? Were her needs abnormal? Was she wanton? Of what little she had heard from other girls, the… intimate parts of a marriage were not always pleasant. Perhaps she should have been glad that she was left in peace.

 

And then had come the time when he had not. When he ran his hands over her bodice, bent her back and kissed her in the way she had wished but never asked for, and the flickering flame in her chest had flared hot and strong. She had felt it in him too, on his hot breath and his urgent touches as their kisses grew deeper. Surely, this would be the day. No matter that they were in his workshop and not in their bedchamber. But it had mattered, and at the noise from outside the door, they had broken apart, and Lucille had come with the tea.

 

_Lucille_. Edith mustn’t think ill of her, she really mustn’t. She was such a beauty, and so clever at the piano as well. Edith had hoped they’d grow closer with time, if perhaps not as sisters, then at least as companions, but Lucille made it hard. She seemed to interrupt Thomas and herself at the most inopportune moments, and she had an uncanny way of lurking in the strangest places, always catching Edith off guard and making her feel guilty about moving around the house. Her own house now, by rights of marriage.

 

Edith shook her head and glanced out at the windswept moorland. She and Lucille would surely make their peace, given a little time.

 

She was happier than she dared to admit to Thomas, perhaps even to herself, that they had left the house for the day. Out here, in the stark light of day, it seemed impossible to think of the things she had seen. She didn’t want to either, and the further the horses trotted, the lighter her chest became. Here and there, she could spot splashes of lilac in the rust-coloured landscape outside the window of the carriage; the last of this autumn’s heather, still struggling in the wind and the cold. When she glanced at Thomas, it seemed to her that he too was in a brighter mood.

 

_Oh, how I wish we didn’t have to go back_ , she thought to herself. _Not today. Not ever._

 

And when the chance presented itself, she took it.

 

Now they were in their room; tiny, with worn furniture and a small window that looked to have gone unwashed for the best part of the century. And yet it felt like a palace to Edith. The warmth of the fire spread through her, eased her chilled limbs into softness once more.

 

“This is the best we’ll find, I’m afraid,” said Thomas apologetically, looking around at the cramped space.

 

“No, it’s perfect,” said Edith, meaning every word.

 

It was as if the intimacy of the room brought them together, Thomas closing the distance between them in one long stride. He took her in his arms and kissed her, and when they laid down on the bed, she knew that the moment was now. For better or for worse, she would get what she had wished for since the day they first met.

 

“You’re beautiful,” he murmured against her throat before kissing her there, a soft, trembling touch of his lips against her skin. “Beautiful… beautiful…” he whispered, over and over between kisses.

 

When he climbed on top of her, Edith let the sensations of his body against hers wash over her. Even though he felt heavy, she wanted to press closer still, push her soft chest against his lean torso. She let her hands roam his back, then in a moment of irresistible curiosity, she dragged her fingers round his waist and down to the front of his trousers. She gasped a little when she felt his manhood, hard and erect, evidence that he too wanted this, wanted her.

 

“How I’ve longed for this,” he said, breath stuttering as she explored him, squeezing and stroking him with only that thin barrier of cloth separating them.

 

“I have too, Thomas. What took us so long?”

 

He buried his face in the crook of her neck then, letting all of his weight fall on her, almost crushing her. He stayed there a long time, simply breathing. “I don’t know,” he said finally, his voice thick with emotion, “but I will make up for it now.”

 

When they kissed again, it was different. His lips were urgent, and when his tongue swept over hers, she had to stifle a moan. Her body responded to his every touch, sending thrills up her thighs and leaving burning embers in her belly. Quickly, he rid himself of his suspenders, and before she knew it, she was running her hands over his naked behind, feeling the skin on his firm cheeks prickle under her fingertips. When he ground his erection against her, she couldn’t help herself, and let a sinful noise slip over her lips. Thomas seemed to take it as encouragement and doubled his efforts until he finally pulled away, sitting back on his heels.

 

“Edith,” he said, then pushed aside her skirts and ran his hand over her knee. “Let me make this good for you.”

 

She looked at him in confusion. “What do you mean?”

 

With nimble fingers, he untied the laces of her smallclothes, then pulled them down, before gently hooking her leg over his shoulder. He pressed a kiss to the soft flesh of her thigh, just above the knee. “I would never hurt you, Edith. Can you trust that?”

 

“Of course. Why would you ask something like that?”

 

“Just…” He seemed to hesitate. “Trust me.”

 

“I do,” she said, and then, as he kissed her thigh again, further up this time, she breathed, “I do. I do.”

 

His lips wandered up and up her leg, and it wasn’t long before they came dreadfully close to the fine curls covering her sex.

 

“Thomas,” she gasped. “What are you doing?”

 

He adjusted himself, settling between her legs, then looked up at her. “Have you ever…explored yourself?” he asked.

 

Edith felt herself blush furiously. “No more or less than any other grown woman,” she said, hoping it was a sufficiently vague yet confident answer. 

 

“And did you ever…” He carefully let a finger trace the curve of her thigh, up to her mound. “Did you ever find it pleasing?”

 

She swallowed hard, thinking back to a time some years ago when she’d pressed herself against a pillow in an uncouth way until it had tickled too much for her to go on. “Maybe,” she said. “Or…no. I don’t think so.”

 

“Then let me show you.” He slowly began touching the skin around her most secret place with gentle hands, starting with her legs and her belly, then circling in until he brushed over her curls. “This,” he said, placing a light finger at the top of her mound, where her lower lips met, “is the place where your pleasure lies hidden.” He kissed it ever so lightly, making her bite her lip in a mix of horror and delight. “But we mustn’t rush things.”

 

Slowly, he slid his finger down, parting that sheer, golden curtain, touching the flesh of the labia so softly that Edith had to curl her toes not to cry out. He adjusted a little again, then parted her folds with his thumbs, exposing her entirely. When he lowered his face towards her, Edith couldn’t help but panic a little.

 

“No!” she whimpered.

 

Immediately, he froze, lifting his head to look at her. “Do you want me to stop?” he asked.

 

“No,” she said again. “But Thomas, I’m… You don’t have to.”

 

“Edith,” he said, giving her the most sincere and earnest of looks. “Let me please you.”

 

Unable to speak, she simply nodded, then watched as he sank between her thighs again. When he put his mouth on her, it was all she could do to keep still on the bed. His tongue felt cool against her hot sex, sending shivers down her spine. As he kissed and licked her, her body reacted in the strangest of ways. The touch was so maddening that she didn’t know whether to shy away or to press herself against his face. Her limbs were tingling, her blood singing with lust, and although she never wanted this moment to stop, she somehow couldn’t stand it. Then suddenly, he moved a little, dragging his tongue up, and she felt him touch the little bead that was hidden there, and finally, she knew what pleasure was.

 

She grabbed at the sheets and arched up off the bed, unable to stop herself. She heard a drawn-out, high-pitched sound, then realised the noise was coming from her own throat. The inhibitions that had held her back were as though blown away, and as Thomas circled that small, sweet area with his tongue, she moaned over and over, tossing her head from side to side. Before long, she felt something building, tightening in the lower part of her belly. She buried her hands in his hair, urging him to delve deeper, all while focusing on the crescendo that was rising inside her. Thomas responded with an approving noise that hummed against her in the most delicious way, following her lead and pressing even closer. She felt his hand move, and gently he pushed a finger a little way inside her.

 

“Yes,” she panted, and he let it slide further, until it filled her up.

 

Then he moved it, curling it slightly, and the unbearable tension finally broke. Her insides clenched around him, fluttering and pulsating, while wave after wave of heated pleasure washed over her. The sensation seemed to suspend time itself, and how long she lay there, shivering and mewling his name, she didn’t know. When she came down from that heady high, it was to find Thomas propped up on his elbow, looking at her with a heated gaze. As he carefully withdrew his finger from her, she trembled with aftershocks of her peak.

 

“That was heavenly,” she said once she had regained her breath a little.

 

“Yes it was,” said Thomas, and then in one swift move, he was on top of her, and when he kissed her, she could taste herself on his tongue; a tangy, enticing flavour mingling with his sweet breath.

 

He kicked his trousers off, then sat back to unbutton his shirt, and as she admired his lean chest her eyes dropped, and she saw his manhood. Whether it was average or not of size, she didn’t know, but the sight still made her breath hitch. It was so much thicker than his finger - how could it ever fit? _Don’t be silly_ , she told herself sternly. She was a woman, and her body was made to give birth to babies. She wanted this. Even though Thomas had given her the most blissful moments in life, she wanted more, so when he leaned over her again, she grabbed at his shoulders and showed him just that. With a grin, he let her flip them over so that she was straddling him, his firm length trapped between them. When he pushed his hips up, it made him grind against her, and her legs trembled at the sensation.

 

“You set the pace,” said Thomas, pushing back her skirts from her thighs, rubbing her skin with firm hands. “When you’re ready.”

 

“I’m ready,” she said, and yes, she meant it.

 

She raised herself up a little, preparing to guide him inside her, but he put a hand on her hip.

 

“Wait,” he said. “I should very much like to see you.”

 

“Do you not see me now?”

 

“All of you,” he said, running his hand up her side, tracing a thumb below the line of her breast.

 

“Then you may,” said Edith, raising her eyebrow with a smile, then reached behind her to undo the lacings of her dress.

 

Eagerly, Thomas sat up to help her, and when she pulled the garment over her head, he laid back again, letting his gaze roam her.

 

“So beautiful,” he murmured, then reached for her again, brushing his fingertips over her nipple, pink and taut with arousal.

 

She took his hand, then placed it firmly on her breast, leaning into his touch. “I’m not made of glass,” she said, then tipped forward and grabbed a hold of his manhood, and before she could change her mind, she placed the tip at her entrance, and sank down on it a little.

 

His mouth dropped open in a gasp, and Edith felt triumphant. She, too, could make him feel good. Bracing herself, she lowered herself a little further. The feeling was not unpleasant, and although it felt incredibly tight, she seemed to stretch and accommodate him with every inch. There was a short little burn, and then he was fully inside her. Letting out a slow breath, she relaxed a little and settled on his hips.

 

“You feel incredible,” said Thomas and reached down to caress her bottom.

 

She moved experimentally, drawing a groan from him. Encouraged, she did it again, slowly sliding up, then down his length. It felt strange and wonderful, being touched from the inside like that. Nerves that had never before been touched came alive, and as she kept moving, it felt better and better. Thomas was making all sorts of noises now, squirming under her rocking, and it made her bolder. She took his hands and placed them on her hips, and he grabbed them eagerly, driving up inside her. Soon, they had found a rhythm, and she could see he was building towards a climax much like her own earlier. Fascinated, she watched where their bodies joined. The sight was strangely arousing, and she could feel her heart race once more.

 

“This is good,” she said breathlessly. “This feels…so…good.”

 

“Christ, Edith,” Thomas swore between clenched teeth, clamping his hands down on her waist, forcing her to stop moving. “Wait. _Wait._ Slowly.”

 

For a few seconds he lay there panting, eyes closed. Then he slid a hand down her belly and pressed his thumb to the swollen bud at the top of her sex, causing her to suck a breath in and jerk towards him. When they moved again, their pace was slow and deliberate, and with every rolling of her hips, Thomas matched it by circling her sensitive spot until she was breathing in stutters. 

 

“Edith,” he said after a little while, his voice hoarse and desperate. “I won’t last much longer. I can’t…”

 

“Yes,” she said, quickening her pace, pressing her hand down on his. “Yes, you can.”

 

Closing her eyes, she focused on mounting tension below her belly, let it fill her whole being, and when she heard Thomas cry out, felt him twitch violently inside her, it tipped her over the edge. She lost herself in the climax, clinging on to his hand as she clenched around him again and again.

 

When it was over, she lay slumped on his chest. He stroked her hair lazily, and she watched the flickering of the fire in the hearth. Something nagged at her, and she chewed her lip as she turned it over in her head.

 

“What’s the matter?” said Thomas, clearly feeling her unrest.

 

She hesitated, but if she didn’t ask him now, then she’d keep wondering. “You’ve done this before, haven’t you?”

 

He sighed, and wrapped his arms around her, pressing her to his chest. She knew then that she was right. “No,” he said finally. “Not this.” 

 

And somehow, she knew that this too was true.

 

 


End file.
